I’m Mariellen Auer, and for more than 30 years I’ve built a career at the intersection of fashion, sports, and graphic design. My passion started on the volleyball court at Southwestern Michigan College, where I designed apparel for my team and discovered how powerful great design can be. I continued both my education and athletics at Western Michigan University, where I was introduced to print production, graphic design, and public relations—skills that would shape the rest of my career.
How It All Started
In my twenties, I landed my dream job with Giordana Cycling and moved from Michigan to Charlotte, NC. From there, things took off. I had the opportunity to design apparel for legendary brands and athletes including Tommy Hilfiger, Nike, the Olympics, Lance Armstrong, and professional cycling teams around the world. Being able to combine my love for sports with apparel and graphic design has truly been an incredible career.
I always love a challenge! If you have a new idea or concept, I’d love to collaborate together in finding a solution.
Mariellen Auer, Owner
Being at it this long, I have learned a thing or two and I think that makes me stand out from companies you are vetting. in that I’m a great sounding board for your ideas and then working through the process to create deliverables that work! I have a knack for being given a simple sketch or idea and then delivering an out-of-the box ideas and designs. I stay on top of trends, leverage modern creative software, continuously learn new techniques, and draw inspiration from industries far beyond fashion—because in this business, growth and curiosity are everything. And after all these years? I still love what I do.
I work remotely with 90% of the time. Many of our clients are from all over the world. So don’t let your location stop you from reaching out.
Really Cool Projects
Developed entire brand from logo to apparel design to tech packs for a Grateful Dead related company.
Work with professional athletes in creating custom graphics and designs for their own start-ups.
Worked directly with Olympics, NFL, Nike and Gatorade in creating unique apparel and presentation products.
Multi-store lacrosse owners sought me out to design and produce custom Lacrosse uniforms for rec to high school to college teams.
Created logo and branding for 1,000+ companies
Created first hockey and baseball jersey designs for Made in Detroit (Kid Rock’s line)
Big Brothers and Big Sisters needed 1,000 embroidered hats in 3 days and we delivered!
Named one of Cycling Industry’s best designer and sought after by major retail brands to provide custom designs
Apparel Design & Development
Original T-Shirt & Apparel Graphics Eye-catching, trend-aware designs perfect for retail brands, merch drops, collections, and team uniforms.
Custom Apparel Design Creating unique apparel concepts for start-ups, fashion collections, sports teams, and private labels—with a strong focus on brand identity and market appeal.
Product Development Support From concept to production: full-service support for sublimated apparel, accessories, and custom product lines.
Tech Packs & Technical Illustrations Detailed, factory-ready tech packs and precision technical drawings that translate your vision into production-ready specs.
Print-Ready Graphics Expert in preparing artwork for a range of production methods—ensuring clean, accurate files in the right formats for print, embroidery, and digital use.
Cut & Sew Manufacturing Guidance Experienced in custom garment development, including pattern design and sourcing support.
Apparel Decoration Expertise In-depth knowledge of techniques including screen printing, dye sublimation, embroidery, heat transfer, and more.
Design Expertise
Logo Design & Brand Identity Developing bold, fashion-forward logos and cohesive visual identities tailored for emerging apparel brands—from streetwear to luxury.
Branded Collateral Designing impactful business cards, lookbooks, pitch decks, and packaging that reflect your brand’s voice and appeal to buyers, investors, and customers.
Vector Illustration & File Conversion Expert in vector-based design for screen printing, embroidery, and scalable brand assets. Able to convert raster images (JPGs) into clean, production-ready vector files.
Print Production Expertise Deep experience in print design, including catalogs, posters, brochures, and hangtags. Skilled in photography direction, copywriting, paper selection, and working with top-tier printers to ensure high-quality results.
Infographics & Visual Content Designing custom infographics, icon sets, and visual assets for social media, investor materials, and seasonal campaigns.
Software Proficiency Advanced knowledge of Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, Microsoft PowerPoint, Word, Apple Pages, Excel, and WordPress—ensuring consistent design across both digital and print platforms.
Unique Industry Contacts
Work side-by-side with compliant, secure, and reliable factories both in the USA and abroad to craft environmentally friendly apparel and accessories
Established connections with international garment producers for more than three decades.
Fabric, Trim and Packaging – working with the latest and custom materials
Education
Western Michigan University. Kalamazoo, MI. Bachelor of Science. Public Relations and Journalism degree. Division I. Received full-ride athletic scholarship in volleyball and played on the #16 national ranked team. Worked in the sports department providing graphic design and marketing support.
Southwestern Michigan College. Dowagiac, MI. Associate in Arts. Graphic Design specific. Received full-ride scholarship for the #2 national ranked team volleyball and also played. basketball.
Job Experience
Sports/Global Cycling Company – apparel designer, catalog, photoshoots, ad development, worked with teams in creating custom apparel, major retail brands for sponsorship
Food Packaging – responsible for $35M territory for food packaging artwork production. Worked with Nathan’s, Boar’s Head, Tyson, Perdue, Dietz & Watson
Paper Specification Representative – As a Southeast Regional Sales Representative, I engaged with diverse advertising agencies to curate premium paper solutions for their marketing and sales materials.
My fav job…working at a surf store at the beach!
Non-profit and Professional Board Positions
2016-Present – Mecklenburg Country Parks and Recreation. Athletic Advisory Council Board member. 2020 – present – Ronald McDonald House in Charlotte. Marketing Committee for various fundraising events. 2016-Present – America’s Toothfairy.Marketing Committee. Assist with special events, provide merchandise and promotional products.
CSCA – Charlotte Society of Communicating Arts, Vice President, Event Coordinator, Newsletter writer/designer/editor
Charlotte Sports Network,Founder Advocate to connect sports business leaders and owners.
BNI – Business Network International, Marketing Committee, Vice President.
TNBA – The National Business Association of Sports. Vice President, Marketing Committee, Website designer, Official Greeter.
Special Olympics – Camp Counselor
Junior Olympics Volleyball – Coach
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